mk9750

Some examples I have seen: Individual project: -Bulit brick patio -Painted shed -Cleaned and organized basement _Cleaned, sharpened, labeled and created storage for garden tools -Built step path for where dad gets out of truck (this was really appreciated by the mom, who had to mop the floor about 1/3 less often!) -Replaced smoke detectors with smoke / co2 detectors -Tear out old deck to make way for new sun porch -Chopped and split wood from a tree that fell in the yard Some family projects: -Family cleaned their church together -Inventoried and photgraphed family assets for insurance purposes. -Painted addition being buit on house, saving the cost of the contractor doing this. -Built wood bookshelf wall unit in living room -"Child - Proofed" house for expected new sibling -Catalogue and put into album all of the families pictures That's all I can remember guys I've worked with doing. Hope it helps. Mark

Wheeler, You appear to have an agenda. I seem to be not smart enough to figure it out. Can you fill me in? And, would these posts not be more appropriate in the issues and politics section? Mark

I sure have a knack for ending a thread, don't I? Mark

After posting the previous message, I used the link Bob provided. I'm working from memory here, but: New Req. #1 is new completely. New Req 2a is new. 2b is a rewording of on old req. New Req. 3 is an old req. New Req 4 is mostly new. It does contain components of an old req (how to introduce a speaker). New Reqs 5, 6, and 7 are carry overs from the old reqs. New Req. 8 is brought back from the reqs of about 5 years ago. New req. 9 is basically the same as the old req. The only significant changes then are the addition of new Req. #1, 2a and adding back # 8, and the addition of an interview in Req #4. this is more significant than I thought, but I still wouldn't call it a major rewrite. Mark

Bob, I'll take a look, as you suggest. But the requirements to which I have always asked the Scouts to work come from the Requirements book, and I had been using the 2002 edition until I just got 2004. I've been reading the new booklets, but I started with Personal Management, so I haven't really studied the new Communications booklet yet. But, as I've displayed so many time is in the past, I could be wrong. So tonight I'll take a look and make a more thorough comparison. Mark

Are you hinting about potential summer employment, OT? I think there should be no problem at all. As much as I can understand the arguement some have against female SMs (I don't agreee, but I do understand), I don't see the same arguement being valid for camp staff. I bet it would be great. Mark

MWMom, Welcome! Nice to have a new face! I hope you enjoy your time here! You're always qualified to offer opinions, so don't let that stop you. Let everyone know it's how you feel. If you're a little off base, most people won't attck, they'll guide. I just recounted my experience in another thread last week. The short version is my mom made me quit because I got frostbite at a winter campout. Sure wish I had continued. Some of the things my sons have learned in their Scout careers I envy! If I could get a boy to hear what I say on the topic, I think I'd make sure they understood to keep their eyes and minds open during the journey. Let's face it - for most boys, it's the goal they fixate on. But the real value to the program is what they'll see on the way. Mark

MWMom, Welcome! Nice to have a new face! I hope you enjoy your time here! You're always qualified to offer opinions, so don't let that stop you. Let everyone know it's how you feel. If you're a little off base, most people won't attck, they'll guide. I just recounted my experience in another thread last week. The short version is my mom made me quit because I got frostbite at a winter campout. Sure wish I had continued. Some of the things my sons have learned in their Scout careers I envy! If I could get a boy to hear what I say on the topic, I think I'd make sure they understood to keep their eyes and minds open during the journey. Let's face it - for most boys, it's the goal they fixate on. But the real value to the program is what they'll see on the way. Mark

This thread was spun from another thread.I just got the 2004 Requirments book. I looked for the changes made to the Merit Badges I counsel: Communications and Personal Management. The changes to Communications are quite minor. They added back a requirement to plan a COH or campfire. But other than that, the requirements have been massaged, not really changed. Personal Managment has quite a few changes, and, I'm happy to say, they are mostly good ones. The badge is certainly not any easier, which has been the case with a number of othe badges that have changed over the last few years. They don't have an emphasis on "pay yourself first", which I think is important, put it is discussed in the new pamphlet (the Merit Badge pamphlet for both of these two are available at our Council's Scout Shop). I'm sure that I can place some more emphasis on it to get the point across. They added a couple of requirments that on the surface seem kind of cheesy. They want a Scout to discuss his feelings about a number of money issues. My first thought was that this was silly, but after thinking about it, there certainly is often a different frame of mind one has with moeny in their pocket and without. All in all, I give the changes a thumbs up. (I'm sure everyone was waiting with worrisome looks on their faces for my proclaimation, eh?) Mark

If I were searching for a speaker to talk to the youth in my Troop, I would get Old Grey Eagle. If I were looking for a speaker for the adults in my Troop, I would get Eagledad. If I were looking for a speaker for both, I might pass them both up and ask for KoreaScouter. Then again, I might ask hopscout or OutdoorThinker. There are more of you on these forums that I hold in high regard, so please don't feel slighted if I didn't mention you. But I have gotten to the point where I scan threads for answers from these folks. Thanks to each of you for allowing me a glimpse into your mind. I have benefitted enormously. Mark

In our Troop, Scouts sign off all most all of the rank requirments, so this isn't a problem for us. As for Merit Badges, we've talked among the adults about this over the years, and we all are convinced that all of the adults in our Troop who are MB Counselors handle this situation without any favoritism. Our SM does the Citizenship badges. He does an UNBELIEVALBE job. I think it would be ashame to prevent his son from having the same learning experience all of the other Scouts get just because he's the Counselor's son. Same with me doing Personal Management, or one of our ASMs doing Pioneering or Personal Fitness. The only time I have ever suspected any type of favoritism is when I have been working with a boy on a badge, and one of my sons have approached him to sign off a rank requirement. I've been told I was crazy, but I think I've seen a few times when my son caught breaks from a guy who I was working with. Summary - If the adults are honorable people who live by the Scout Oath and Law, don't let it bother you. Mark

SA, Congratulations! We just had our Klondike this weekend, and had a similiar experience. After two or three years of very poorly run Klondikes, our Troop volunteered to organize this year's event. Our SM recruited one of our boys to be SPL for the event, and the SPL recruited an ASPL and much of the youth staff that developed the stations and ran the event. With few exceptions, adults had very little to do with the outcome of the event, which I believe most of the participants would rate a 9.1 to a 9.3 if we had asked. Of course, there were some things that didn't come off well. The boy who was charged with creating a map used a draft map as the final copy. The SPL didn't review and approve a criteria for stations to score participants, which led to some inequeties in how nuggets were awarded. And he failed to develop a plan for check out and campsite inspections. As these problems began to show up, the SPL was quite upset with himself for these omissions. Somehow we failed to show him that his effort was intended to teach him how to run a project, not necesarily to be perfect at it on the first try. Once he understood that in the framework of Scouting, mistakes are learning oportunities, not failures, he felt better. So many of the SMs and other adult leaders who were witness to the event coming together, including the DE, refused to believe that this could work. In almost every case, these adults recognized that the event was successful. Sadly though, at the District Committee meeting last night, as I hear, the spring Camporee will be going back to the same old adults, planning things that don't really interest the boys, being run by "the good 'ole boys", and finalizing the plans in the parking lot on the Friday of arrival. Seems like lessons even when the student recognizies the value, are harder to implement than I had hoped. But congratulations on your outcome. If the results are a renewed enthusiam from your guys- If they can't wait to show themselves off again as a self sufficient unit- Then you and your Scouts should be proud! Mark

OutdoorThinker- OGE has broken out in song again. You must be so proud! (lol!) Mark

We had a boy who moved out of the area, about 25 miles away. He continued with our Troop for about 6 months, then started becoming more scarce. We did everything we could think of to hook him up with a Scoutmaster in his new area, but eventually he faded away and did not transfer to a closer Troop. It was very sad. This kid was doing great in Scouting, and it was a big value to him. Other than this boy, our longest commute is about 10 miles. Mark

Laura, My hope is that I'm not embarassed by sticking my neck out here, but I am doing so from memory, so please excuse me if I'm wrong. I looked up the requirements for Communications MB at Meritbadge.com and what they are showing look like the same requirements with which have worked as a counselor for this badge since 2002. What has changed? Mark

Well, Monday after Klondike, and the reports are in: A HUGE success! Temperatures Friday night went to +4. Daytime temp on Saturday was @ 22, but it was -2 Saturday night. 450 registered Scouts and Scouters, of whom only 6 Cub Scouts and 1 Troop of 6 did not come. We had the following issues: 1 accidentally self inflicted knife wound (cutting frozen pepperoni is tougher for a 12 year old than you'd think!) 1 2nd degree burn (a Cub was running in his cabin, tripped, and caught himself on the pot belly stove in the cabin 1 boy who has a clostomy bag and didn't bring his maintenance equipment. All SPLs reported on Sunday that their Troops made it through the weekend well. No apparent frostbite or hypothermia. A couple of hungry Scouts (I know my son was to prepare a meal of whole chicken cooked in a garbage can that never happened because he didn't consider that he had to protect his food from the cold just like he would have had to protect it from the heat!), but everyone was happy to have been there (well, maybe a few adults complained). This was a great event. And the best part was it was the first District or Council event in the years I have been with a Troop that was largely left to youth to plan and run. Not many people in our District were convinced that it was a good idea to turn the responsiblity over to a 16 year old and a staff he largely recruited himself, but it came off well. There were just enough minor mistakes made to be valuable teaching oppurtunities. I can't believe how pumped I am about how this came off! Insert what Barry says here. Mark

Hey It's Me! Welcome! I have to commend you on your ambition! I think I did a pretty good job as a Den Leader and as a Cubmaster, but I never did as much outdoor stuff as it seems like you guys do. Nice going! Now that I'm involved with Boy Scouts, can I offer a suggestion? If you feel you need a specific piece of equipment for an outing that you can't afford on your own, or don't want the Pack to invest in, why don't you try to borrow it from one of the Troops in your area? If your Pack has a good relationship with a Troop or two, they should be thrilled to provide you a piece of equipment, with the hope that such exposure will help some of your Cubs think to cross to their Troop when the time comes. If you work through any Den Chiefs you have, I'll bet you can get most anything you might want. Give each piece a tryout, and maybe you'll be able to figure out which piece(s) you might decide to buy. Just a thought. Mark

It looks like it's official now, so I think I can say... Dave landed a DE job in the Greater Cleveland Council on the east side of Cleveland. He's not in my Council (Or I'm not in his???), but we've made some plans to get together when he moves here. For a number of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with the forums themselves, Dave has decided not to post any longer. He still lurks on occassion though, he tells me, so any well wishes I'm certain he will see sooner or later. I've enjoyed talking with him here, and feel fortunate that I will be able to continue to talk to him more in person. Mark

Please understand that I participate in this discussion for entertainment purposes only... Truncate means to abreviate or shorten. The proper way to shorten "United States of America" would be simply "United States". Your stance seems to indicate that to truncate means to shorten by elimination of the first part(s). as to the "my" issue, I have (very respectfully, I think) expressed my disagreement with Bob on this issue, and will continue to refer to a Troop with which I am associated by using "my" or "ours". Mark

I always thought that truncating "United States of America" left you with "United States", not "America" "America" would be the truncated version of either "North America" or "South America". However, using it as such could leave confusion in the mind of the receiver of the message. Of course, common usage has evolved so that "America" does in fact mean the United States of America. And this is viewed by the rest of the continent much the same way as using "my Troop." Just my humble view. Mark

Excellent! Now I stand a chance of at least looking intellegent! Terry, I'm betting the last reason in the world you do this is accolades, but you've done great things with this forum. You should be extremely proud. Congratulations! Mark

OK, bring on the pointing fingers and the laughing, but I can't figure out what this is in reference to. Can anyone fill me in? Mark

I can't recall if I've ever bored you all with my own youth Scouting story, but here's an appropriate place to do so. Back when I was a Cub, the tradition was to cross over to Boy Scouts at the Pack meeting after your 11th BD. My BD being Feb 10, I crossed to a Troop (actually, the Troop I'm with now) a week before the Klondike. Despite my parents very animated protests, nothing was going to stop me from going on my first campout. I remember having a blast. I was in charge of cooking a pancake on the bottom of a coffee can without any utensils, and we got the most nuggets! Everyone in my Patrol patted me on the back, and I was a hero. I loved it! The temperatures that weekend ranged from 10 above to 10 below. I was having such a good time, I didn't realize it, but when I got home, I couldn't feel my toes. Two days later, my mom took me to the doctor, and I had frostbite. My mom told me that if a SM wasn't smart enough to make us come home with temperatures like we had, then he wasn't smart enough to have me in the Troop, and that was the last Scout meeting I attended until my son wanted to join. It is BECAUSE of the above, not in spite of it, that I have to disagree with you, Eamonn. Surely, I did not belong out camping in those conditions. I had netiher the knowledge or the equipment to camp safely in zero degree weather. But I think for those of us who live in the climates conducive to freezing temperatures, we owe it to our Scouts to teach them how to live, work, and have fun in them. It's likely that at least one or two of the guys in my Troop will grow up to have a job that requires exposure to the elements, even in winter. It's possible that one or more of them may adventure as an adult into winter camping situations, or find themselves accidently exposed to harsh elelments. If we don't utilize one of the methods at our disposal (Outdoor activities) to provide that backround, I think we've failed them. Frankly, I hate the cold now. And I truly don't like camping in it, for various reasons, not the least of which is that I am too big to be able to dress inside a sleeping bag anymore. Add to that the problem I have in common with sctldr, causing me to have to find the latrine at least a couple of time during the night, and I promise you, now that I think about it, I don't hate winter camping, I DETEST IT! But still, you can find me this coming weekend, Friday evening through Sunday morning, watching almost 400 boys learn and have fun camping in northern Ohio. I will have many functions this weekend, but my most important, even if it unofficial, is watching out for those that may be in the same boat as I was 34 years ago. Hopefully, the event SPL (a boy from our Troop) who has been making the rounds to Troops in the area, will have done a good enough job explaining winter camping skills. But we've been doing this event for years and years now, and I am convinced that any boy who comes prepared (knowledge and equipment) will do fine. And as KS said, the boost to their self confidence is huge - and not artificial. One last thing. This year, our SM was able to convince the committee that we should offer the Troops the choice of eating in the dinning hall or making their own meals in camp. We have always served dinner in the dinning hall, on the premis that we should give guys a chance to warm up. We were suprised to learn that so far, only two Patrols (not whole Troops, but two PATROLS) have decided to eat in the dinning hall. Everyone else is cooking in their campsites. Eamonn, I can respect anyone who doesn't want to camp in the winter. I've got no problem with that. But I honestly think it is a very worthwhile activity for boys in our area, and would encourage you to consider adding it back to your District's program. Mark

OGE, Back in '95, when the NFL allowed the Browns to move to Baltimore, me and 3,000,000 other Browns fans vowed we would never watch another NFL game. I think we're down to 12 of us, but I've stuck to my guns. so I wouldn't usually know how anyone did. But my son is an Eagle's fan, and I've been hearing for four days now how the fix must have been in (where does a fourteen year old hear phrases like that? I've never know him to have watched "The Sting"). On the other hand, is there any chance Rush Limbaugh was right about McNabb? As to OutdoorThinker, glad to hear she's home. After a rest, I sure hope to hear about her experience. Please let her know her fans (well at least me) await. Mark

ScoutingAgain, I've been wrong before, so don't be suprised if I'm wrong on this one, too. but I believe your 6 - 8 person tent with mixed adults and boys wouldn't fly if put to the test. I think the rule saying a boy cannot stay in the same tent as an adult not his parent or legal gaurdian precludes a boy staying in the same tent as his parent AND a person who is not his parent or legal gaurdian. I would like someone with a real basis of knowledge to respond to the relative, sibling question. It is possible that my nephew will be spending the summer with us this year, and he is a Cub Scout. If we do a Dad -n - Lad campout, I'd like to know what I can do in this case. My hope would be to have him pair up with another Scout, but in the few of these I have been to, it has always been dad and son in a tent. Mark